Some questions about names...

Why do you want to change your name? I have an Indian friend whose name translates to “the destroyer of evil”. How cool is that?

I have heard of certain names being associated with certain things. But there is no way to predict that. Some people would be against hiring a woman, so would take out applications of people named “Mary” or “Barbara”. You can’t predict what your future employer would or would not do. By the way, I don’t think this practice is right or acceptable, I’m just giving an example.

As for the name you’ve chosen, “Martinez” isn’t really an English name, it is more Spanish or Mexican. Also, I would say that it is mainly a surname, not a first name.

@Les aha! thanks :) I heard the one about names invoking ideas in a research paper I think… the guy said people are supposedly prejudiced against certain names..the examples were like Courtney sounding like a smart person and Bertha souning like a fat woman.. all nonsense I think Though… :)
Oh and the reason why I want to change my name is because it is easier to just have my name changed than to struglle with millions of people who wouldnt even be able to pronounce my name :( plus its what everyone does.. you’ll be surprised..

Don’t do anything about your name. It is yours and is just fine the way it is.

Americans have names of all kinds because Americans come from everywhere. Most traditional American names are of English origin and don’t have a well-known meaning; they are not words in the English language, and people don’t think about them in terms of their meaning. Even those that are (such as “Hunter”) are not thought of that way—that is, as “one who hunts.” They are just names. You can research them and find out their original meaning, but people use them without any awareness of that.

Depending on their ethnicity, some people use an English translation of their names. Some use their initials. Some choose a short form. But there is no need to belabor the question in advance.

If your name poses difficulties for some people, chances are you will acquire a nickname. It will probably sound more American than something you choose.

Martinez is a Hispanic surname and suggests a Latino ethnicity. It would seem strange on someone coming from a completely unrelated nationality and would probably cause you to be asked constantly: “How did you get a name like that?”

@Jeruba yeah I think Ill forget Martinez :) hmmm…
So everybody thinks that I should hold on.. okay I will :)

It’s fairly common for foreign students to adopt an English name. A good friend of mine from college was formally named [removed by Fluther], but went by Patti. This is not the same as legally changing their name, though—Patti is still [removed by Fluther] on all her legal paperwork.

As to specific names – I have no idea. If you like Martinez, by all means go with it, but as noted it’s more of a Latino surname, so you’ll have some odd conversations about it.

@cwilbur wait I can just call myself A even if i am B on all legal documents???? thats new :( I wouldnt even have to have discussion at all….. one of the few things that held me back was that I might get into trouble if I use a different name for my legal documents…
Thanks for your information!!

@frigate1985 You can call yourself whatever you want.

When my mother moved to CA 15 years ago she introduced herself to everyone as “Mary.” Her drivers license, credit card, and all legal documents are under the name “Anne.” Most people have no idea.

Stick with your name man. That’s what you’ve been given. That’s what you should be proud of. At the very most just give yourself a nickname.

I used to have this friend who came over from China to study. His name was Liu Ze Lai. He decided to give himself the English name Leo. Although it didn’t really make sense name-wise (‘Liu’ is his surname and not his first name, which is ‘Ze Lai’) I suppose it was something which he thought would make it easier for other people.

What’s in a name? A lot. That’s what you’ve had for the past two decades or so of your life (I’m just estimating here) and that’s what you’ve been called and identified with. I think that changing a name is extremely symbolic, almost like changing a personal aspect of your being. And if your only motive for officially changing your name is to make it easier for people to pronounce, you’re going about it the wrong way.

@Likeradar hmmm yeah thats what I was thinking about doing.. sounds good but wouldnt some people feel betrayed of trust or something if they new my true name? you know, I might sound as if i was hiding my identity or something which I definitely do not want…

@frigate1985, of course. You can call yourself anything you want as long as it is not for fraudulent purposes. I know many people who use a name other than their legal name for everyday use, from an Indonesian woman named Fi Lien who goes by (calls herself, is called) Evelyn to a Russian man named Konstantin who uses the name Ken. I am known by a nickname (a short form of my legal given name) and even use it on my bank accounts. When I sign a legal document, I sign my full name.

@Saturated_Brain a decade and a half actually :) but close
I intend to come up with a name that is both easy and represents a part of my actual name… which is hellishly hard….

@Jeruba I might get my identity confused :) but new name is different from a shortened version of nicknames no?... ah, all this legal stuffs, its making me confused :)

does the people in….uhhhh….customs(?) explain all these stuffs to me or do I have to figure it out myself?

Shortened names, nicknames, variants, etc., do not require any legal change. You don’t have to make any legal change. That would just be messy.

Have fun thinking about American names, but don’t worry about it too much.

(Say “this stuff,” not “these stuffs.” “Stuff” is not a countable noun.)

@Jeruba gotcha :) so in essence, I can sign my name in all legal documents with my true name but use American name in everything else right? thanks for your help !!

IF you don’t mind, you could just give us your name. It’d be fun coming up with suggestions.

@Saturated_Brain My full name is Yoonho Im, first name rhymes with uhhh..nevermind lol

@frigate1985, yes.

@Jeruba ty :)

@frigate1985, is it a male or female name?

My first name is John and I go by my middle name. My family and friends call me Ryan. Even in school they asked if we wanted to go by another name on the first day.

Just say something like, ” I go by yawn.”

@Jeruba male :)

@johnpowell yawn… ummm thats a bit…

Similar sounds:
Ian
John
Evan
Jonas
Jonah
Henry
Joe

Anything you like:
Jack
Marty
Sam
Bill
Don
...
(see the list here for names that are considered popular and unusual now or were when you were born, or any other time in the past 100+ years)

@Jeruba ohhh thanks!!!! wow thats a lot of names to think about :) thanks for all of your help :)

I didn’t actually changed my first name, but i wanted it to be shortened.
From ‘Roland’ i wanted to make it ‘Ro’, just because i like that short sound.
So, i just answered my phone with ‘Ro’, ended my mails and text-messages with it, etc., and guess what…., almost everybody, even my parents and siblings took to my ‘change’.

@rebbel interesting… Ill keep that in mind too..haha thanks

@frigate1985 Nah, I don’t think people feel betrayed or lied to. Some people think it’s a little odd when they find out, but who cares? Plenty of people go by different names, it’s not really seen as a big deal. Many people use their middle name if they like it more, but there are lots of people who just make something up.

You’ll just have to get used to teachers and other people addressing you by Yoonho, and you’ll have to get used to saying “I go by Stan” (or whatever).

I really can’t imagine you having much problem with being discriminated against at an American university based on a foriegn name though. I went to universities filled with people who had names I’d never heard before.

It’s your name, be called something you like. Personally, I think Yoonho is a pretty cool name.

I’m in agreement with most here. Keep your name, but give yourself a nickname if you like. Whatever you choose, though, don’t choose “Ho”... it has a negative connotation here.

Pretty sure you can change your surname as well

What I would do is not outright say “My name is John” to people you meet, but rather say “My name is Yoonho, but I go by John.” So nobody feels lied to or confused down the road.

A lot of people out here go by nicknames. The first day of school, when the teachers do a role call, it’s typical for them to ask if you’d like to be referred to as something other than your legal name. Whether it’s a shortening, or if its your middle name, or last name, or something completely different.

And @Simone_De_Beauvoir is right. You can go about and legally change your name. I wouldn’t really bother with it, though.

I have a friend called Sarvatrajit. He calls himself Savy. We call him Savy.

Why not call yourself ‘Yono’? Or ‘Yoon’? Or even ‘Yone’?

Personally I like ‘Yono’ the best. It ain’t American sounding. Pretty Jap, actually. It’s easier to pronounce than Yoonho for most people who aren’t of your ethnic group, but is close enough to your original name. But hey, it’s your name. You call the shots in this decision. =)

I’ve known many Asian people who go by their initials: for example, Y.H. Im.

An exceptionally long first name would not really compensate for the shortness of Im. It would tend to sound abrupt because of the contrast. For example, Alexander Im or Maximilian Im sounds a bit odd (not that there’s anything wrong with it, but if you are choosing on aesthetic grounds, that is a consideration). Look for harmony. A two-syllable name with accent on the first syllable would be better for balance; for example, Henry Im, Joseph Im, Joel Im.

hold on…your name is Yoonho Im? Am I the only one who thinks you’re pulling our leg? If this is your real name then yes, you should change it. Or you could keep it and have all sorts of fun with it. You could be a star with a name like that. really? nobody noticed yet?

Ok, assuming just for the sake of the argument that you’re not just teasing us, legal names do not have to be what people call you. You can introduce yourself as anything at all, and even though I’d be wary of an Anne that calls herself Mary, I never thought it weird that my friend Zhou Yi (joo-yee) wanted to be called “Joy”. It was easier for us, and it’s such a beautiful name, and it was also more or less a translation of what her name originally meant in Chinese. I also had a friend called “You” which I found funny. I made many jokes about his name.

My dad changed his name when he first got to Australia, but that was because it was too long. His whole family followed suit. I have 2 different legal names and another 2 nicknames, and that doesn’t even include Jack79.

What about the name is specifically star-worthy, Jack?

Yoonho Im = You Know Him

@Jack79 Come on, for the sake of kindness let’s assume this guy is for real. He didn’t offer his name, it was asked for. Why would you say that to someone who’s coming here for a probably genuine question?

I don’t think it’s funny to make jokes about people’s names.

@Jack79 It’s Korean; you can check out the name ‘Yoonho’ on Google

@Saturated_Brain what??? how did you figure that out!! lol im surprised that google can do that hahaha
@Jack79 very, very, funny :(

@frigate1985 Hahaha. It’s amazing what the internet can tell you.

@Saturated_Brain
genius… :) and cool :)

@frigate1985 first of all, how do I know you’re genuine and not making all this up? I don’t. You could be some other fluther member (someone we already know) pulling our leg. Secondly, a name that is normal in one language can be funny/hard/insulting/beautiful in another. Charlton Heston is a famous Hollywood actor. In Greek his name means “Shit on him”. When he was still making movies, Greeks wrote his name wrong on purpose, so that it wouldn’t be insulting to the audience. If your name really is “You Know Him”, then you could actually make money out of it. I don’t know what your plans for the future are, but you could have a career in show business if you wanted. Just saying. And for all we know, your name probably means something like “The affectionate Santa Claus” in its original language (which is what my original name means).

@Jack79
I swear to god or anyone you want me to swear to that everything I said was true.
If you are so suspicious about me why don’t you take me to the court and make me swear my truthfulness there? Couldn’t you at least try to trust somebody? Is having a name that sounds like you know him somethig to be laughed at? I don’t think so. You probably know that saying such things can and are rather insulting to others no?
Plus, if you think about it rationally why would I pull your leg? Let’s assume that I AM a member here. Why would I ask this question to pull your leg? To measure your ability to understand other people? I doubt it. So there actually is no reason to suspect me.

And because you seem to be so dying to make me sell my name to get money, Id like to clarify the fact that my name means that my parents entrusted me with their future.

I am reasonably thankful of you pointing out how ridiculous my name looks in English and I will take it as a joke. However, know that to other members in Fluther who are from my country or anywhere else could be forming a negative opinion of the Americans in general from your comments regarding the name of a person you haven’t even met. I myself will not form a bad opinion of the Americans because during my stay in the USA, I have met many kind and friendly people. So my opinion on the Americans will remain as friendly and welcoming and not affected by your rather insulting comment, but I cannot say the same for others. I’d like to thank you for your effort to make me a talk show guy or whatever and pointing out an interesting fact about my ACTUAL AND TRUE NAME.

Psst. Jack isn’t American.

@frigate1985 hey man, take it easy, I’m just saying it could be a joke, and it would be a funny one if were. You don’t have to persuade me of anything. I’m a nobody, and my opinion doesn’t matter that much anyway. Why on earth would I take you to court? And no, I don’t think it’s insulting. I know a girl called “Hara”. In Greek her name means “Happiness”, in Arabic it means “Shit”. I don’t think she has the right to be insulted if an Arab snickers at her name. She also giggles when her Geography teacher tells her about the Malaka (=wanker) peninsula.

Anyway, there’s plenty of people that do weird things for weird reasons. If you say this is your real name, then fine. I already gave you a serious answer, as did others. It doesn’t really matter either way. I wasn’t accusing your of being an imposter, nor did I mean to insult you. As I said, I bet your name means something significant in its original language. btw my real name isn’t Jack either.

And no, I’m not American, so you shouldn’t hold it against them if I insulted you. I apologise if you felt I was laughing at your actual name. It’s not as if it means something bad in english though. And it’s easy enough to remember, if you want to keep it as it is.

@Jack79 Your answers always seem genuine on here so when you pointed out the name it was done in genuine wonder. I too had a smiliar feeling. However this guy obviously seems genuine! And your apology was more than enough in my eyes, and your initial response was genuine enough too

As for answering the question I think Yoonho to Yono is quite I good idea, but it really is your call.

@Jack79 Okay I get your point. Thanks for answering the question anyway..